The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-01-12
A LION tanner.
ANOCCUPATIONF FRAUGHT WITH
GREAT DANGER.
Forest Lions More Teachable Than
Those Born in Captivity-First
Lessons ia Jumping-Wal-
lace and the Dogs.

A man who had once been engaged as
assistant to lion tanners said to Chicago
Herald representative
"Three kinds of lions come to this
country and Europe, and the biggest
European importer is Jamrach. The
lions come from the Cape and some from
Nubia, and another sort come from Sene-
gal. You get them from Jamrach we'll
nigh as wild as the day they were
caught, for I believe he never allows
any of his men to. go into the cages,
ard if he wants to shift them he
pla:es one cage alongside another and
drives them in by placing lighted
straw in the den he wants them
to quit. There are not very many
lions imported; you sec they breed like
cats-have litter every eight months
and as many as six at litter. The con-
fnement- lions seldom live very long,
and are not to be compared in looks to
the forest lions, but they come cheaper.
The tigers come from India and don't
breed like the lions. The tiger is not so
suuen in confinement but is more treach-
erous, and when he once loses command
of himself there is not pin to choose
between him and the lion. 1 think I
would sooner, on the whole, have truck
with the lion than the tiger. Some peo.
pie will tell you that there is no vice
about either. Boshl It's all very we'll
to say that when he puts his claws into
you in playful way that you ought to
have prysence of mind to keep still and
he will take them out But when you
feel the claws going into the flesh an
inch or more you cannot help dragging
the limb away. Then the beast drags
his way and you get torn and the
blood comes, and the animal,
partly at the sight of blood and partly
in q tit of desperation, as he knows he
has done wrong, takes hold anyhow, and
the others in the cage catch the infection
and then you can say your prayers.
The must dangerous time to interfere is
when they are feeding, especially if they
are knawing bone. 1t is pretty nearly
certain death for man to 90 near an old
lion or lioness when either is gnawing
bone and try to take it away from them.
The lion tanner likes to get his beasts as
young as he can, because then they are
more easily brought into order, although
no doubt there are many instances when
q full-grown forest lion has been trained
to high perfection. Whatever is the
reason, it is a fact that forest lions are
more intelligent and teaehable than those
bred in confinement. The hon-tamer be-
gins by taking the feeding of them into
his own hands, and so gets them to know
him. He commences feeding them
from the outside of the den, then
ventures inside to one at a time, always
careful y keeping his face to
the animal and avoiding any violence,
which is mistake whenever it can be
avoided, as it arouses the dormant devil
in the beasts. Getting to handle the
lion the tanner be Rms by stroking him
down the back. gradually working up to
the head, which he begins to scratch,
and the lion, which, like the cat, likes
friction, begins to rub his head against
the hand. When this familiarity is we'll
established board is handed to the
trainer, which he places scross the cage,
and teaC. IS the lion to jump over it.
Gradually this board is heightened, the
lion jumping over it at every stage, and
then come the hoops, etc., held on top
of the board to quicken the beasts un-
derstanding. TO teach the animal to
jump over the trainer the latter stoops
alongside the board, so that when the
lion clears one he clears the other, and
half dozen lessons are generally suf-
fcient 10 teach him this. To get
a lion to lie down and allow the
trainer to stand on him is more
difficult. 1t is done by ficking
the beast over the back with a small
whip, and at the same time pressing him
down with one hand. BY raising the
head and taking hold of the nostril with
the right hand, and the under lip and
lower jaw with the left, the lion loses
greatly the power of his jaws, so that
man can pull them open and put his
head in the beasts mouth, the feat with
which Van Amburg's name was so much
associated. The only danger is lest the
animal should raise one of his fore paws
and sti k his ella 8 into you, and if he
does, the tanner must stand fast for his
life until he ha shifted his paw. Old
lions are easier handled than young ones,
as they are sure to be better trained. By
the way. did you ever hear the story of
Wallace's fight with the dogs2 No2
Well, Wallace vas an old lion be-
longing to George Wombwell, the Eng
lish menagerie man, and the old
beast was as tame as a sheep. Well
Georges finances were at low water and
he thought that to advertise q fight be-
tween Wallace and q dozen English
mas&tTs would prove a drawing card.
And You just BIT it did. 1t took like
wild re, and seats were sold for the per-
formance as high as 1925 apiece. The
house Was packed and hundreds couldn't
get in. It wa: queer 60 and no mis-
take. When they were put in the cage
the lion didn't care for the dogs and the
dogs didn't care for the lion. Some
times the old lion would scratch a lump
out of dog, and sometimes the dogs
would make as if they were going to
worry the old lion, but neither showed
any serious fight, and at length the pa
tiencc of the audien got exhausted, and
they went ava in disgust. Georges ex-
cuse was: We can't make 'em fight if
they won't can we7' He cleared over
$4,000 by that 'fght9'"